Worst writing award

A Wisconsin professor named Sue Fondrie has won the 2011 Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, where entrants try to write the worst possible opening sentence for an imaginary novel. The NYT write-up is here. I love her winning entry:

"Cheryl's mind turned like the vanes of a wind-powered turbine, chopping her sparrow-like thoughts into bloody pieces that fell onto a growing pile of forgotten memories."

Is that great or what?

Scorched!

The sun. (Image: NatGeo)

Here in New York it's at least a thousand degrees outside -- and they say it feels hotter because of the humidity! Phew. Is this is the new normal? I don't think I like it much.

First there was the never-ending snow, then the floods when the snow melted, then came the tornadoes, and now we've got fires, a crop-killing drought and a most oppressive summer. And just think -- the brunt of the hurricane season lies ahead. It seems we can't expect the weather to be normal anymore. It's sad, like saying goodbye to someone you used to enjoy.

How are you handling the heat? Staying inside with the A/C? I confess that's my M.O. Heat and I are old adversaries and I never win. Give me cool air, Autumn and Winter. (But for dog's sake, would someone hurry up and invent winter baseball? I'd be happy to watch Dominican baseball, minor-league baseball, last season's baseball -- any kind of baseball! I'm beggin' ya!)

A ton of snow sounds refreshing right now. Maybe I'll go put on some Xmas carols.